Thread-controlling device for sewing-machines.



D.S.SEYMOUR.

THREAD CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4, 19H. mmmm. Patented Dec. 5,1916.

2 SHETSSHEET I. III

I i; f w I m N v k I, 1

f i 0 3n uc'nfo'c NW W 5 QX I tmcooao affo'onm j D. S. SEYMOUR. THREADCONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4. 19H.

1 a 11 .1 2 w a INVENTOR Q 1 5,; 01 I 1 Allorney;

WITNESSES n erm ne rarnnm nip DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

THREAD-CONTROLLING- DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Application filed November 4, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR, acitizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county ofCook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Thread- Controlling Devices for Sewing-Machines, ofwhich the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements inthread-controlling devices for sewing machines, and more especially tothe control of the tension devices for the needle threads.

An object of the invention is to provide means whereby a plurality oftension devices may be simultaneously opened to allow thread to befreely drawn therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of threadguides whereby a plurality of threads may be led through independenttension devices and then brought together so as to be carried throughother controlling members.

These and other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part behereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of theinvention,-Figure 1 is a View of the arm of a sewing machine from therear side thereof, with my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a detail, showing the manner ofoperating the thread clamps. Fig. 4 is a sectional view through thebracket carrying the pullofi, showing in part the devices supportedthereby; Fig. 5 is a sectional view longitudinally of the arm of themachine through the bracket, showing the pull-off and thethreadcontrolling rolls cooperating therewith.

As herein illustrated, the sewing machine consists of an overhanging arm1, in which is mounted a rotating driving'shaft. The needle bar 2reciprocates in the forward end of the overhanging arm. The machine asshown herein, is especially adapted for operating with a plurality ofthreads. The threads are led from the supply through suitable threadeyes 3, which are secured to a supporting plate 4, mounted on a bracket5, which in turn is attached to the upper face of the overhanging arm.These thread Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916..

Serial No. 658,554.

eyes are spaced along the upper edge of the supporting plate.

Located adjacent each thread eye is a light tension 6. Also carried bythe supporting plate 4- are a plurality of tensions 7 There is a tension7 for each thread, and said tensions are arranged adjacent the forwardedge of the supporting plate 1 and in a line extending across theoverhanging arm. Each of the tensions 7 consists of two disks 8 and 9.The disk 8 is connected with a stud 10, which extends through thesupporting plate, and a spring 11 surrounding said stud bears at one endagainst a nut 12, and at the other end against the supporting plate.This spring normally presses the disks 8 and 9 toward each other, andcauses a tension on the thread passing between the disks. The tensionsare simultaneously released by a cross bar 13, which is carried byprojecting arms 14:, mounted on a shaft 15, which is journaled inbearings in the bracket 5; On the outer end of the shaft 15 is an arm16, which is adjustably secured thereto. The arm 16 is carried by asplit collar of the usual construction which is adjustably clamped tothe end of the shaft 15 by a screw 15 The presser bar of the machine israised and lowered by a lever 17. This lever 17 carries a lug 18, whichis adapted to engage the outer en d of the arm 16 when the presser baris raised. An adjustable stop 19 limits the movement of the lever 17.When the machine is stopped with the needle above the work, and thepresser bar raised through the swinging of the lever 17, the arm 16 willbe engaged and the downward movement of the arm will impart an upwardmovement to the bar 13, which will engage all of the studs of thetension devices and simultaneously release the tensions on all thethreads. As soon as the presser bar is lowered, the tensions 0n thethreads will be restored. The thread after leaving the tensions 7 passesbetween two guiding rollers 20 and thence under roller 20 to the oilingpad 21. From the oiling pad the thread or threads are led over a roller21 and thence through guiding fingers at the end of the arm supportingthe oiling pad. The thread after leaving the fingers, passes underneatha roller 22 carried at the outer end of an L-shaped arm 22 The L-shapedarm is formedwith a collar 22* freely journaled on a sleeve carried bythe bracket 22 which is secured to the overhanging arm of the machine.This L-shaped arm 22 is connected by a link 12 to a rock lever-17. Therock lever 17 is carried by a short shaft on which is mounted a segment31 adapted to engage a rack 32 attached to the upper end of the presserbar. When the presser bar is raised and lowered, this rack through thesegment will swing the rock lever and through the link will shift theposition of the thread-guiding roller 22. The thread after leaving theroller 22 passes over a roller 24 carried by an arm 2%. This arm 24 isformed with a collar 24* fixed to a cross shaft 40 mounted in suitablebearings on the bracket 22. I

The cross shaft 40 is oscillated by an arm 40, which carries a ball studand this cooperates with aneccentric strap 40 operated by the main shaftin the overhanging arm. The thread passes underneath the roller 23 andthence through clampingdisks 25. These clamping disks are normally heldpressed against each other and against the thread by a spring-26. Thecam arm 27 operated by the shaft 40 engages the outer end of the stud28, which operates to release the clamping disks and allows the threadto run free- From the clamping disks the threads are led through guides29 on the arm 30, the positionof which is controlled by the rock. shaft17*. These threadcontrolling members and thread-clamping devices, asclearly shown in Fig. 2, are arrangedi centrally over the overhangingarm, and the threads passing from the supply through the tension disksare brought together by the guiding posts 20 and led from onecontrolling device to another to the needle bar. The thread clamps 25are timed so as to release the thread when the needle is rising to theupper end of its stroke, and,

therefore, if the machine be stopped with the needle bar at the upperend of its stroke, and the tensions 7 released, the thread may be drawnfreely through the machine.

The oiling pad 21 is attached by an arm 34 which is attached to thesupporting plate 4, and, therefore, it will be noted that the tensiondevices, the releasing mechanism therefor and the oiling pad-with theguides for bringing the threads to the oiling pad and guiding the sameto the pull-off mechanism, are all supported upon the single bracketwhich carries the supporting plate 4.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction andarrangement of parts may be made, without. departing from the spirit ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is r 1. Ase'wmg machme includingin comblnationan overhanging arm, a supporting plate, a plurality of separate tensionscarried by said plate each including a supporting stud extending throughthe plate, a spring surrounding said supporting stud, tension diskscarried by each stud and held yieldingly in contact by the spring, a barcommon to all of said studs, and means for moving the bar to actuatesaid studs to simultaneously release the tensions.

2. A sewing machine including in combi-- 3. A sewing machine includingin combination, an overhanging arm, a bracket mounted thereon, asupporting plate carried by the bracket,.a plurality of separatetensions carried by said plate and arranged in a line extending acrosssaid plate, each of said tensions including a supporting stud extendingthrough the plate, tension disks carried by each stud, a spring forholding said tension disk yieldingly in contact, a bar common to all thestuds, means for moving the bar to actuate the studs to simultane ouslyrelease the tensions, a plurality of thread controlling devices arrangedcentrally over said arm, and guiding devices for bringing the threadpassing through the tension devices together and guiding the same to thesaid controlling devices.

4. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, aneedle bar having needle guides at the upper end, and tension devicesfor a plurality of needle threads carried by said overhaging arm, andsymmetrically disposed on each side of a center line passing through thearm, a pulloff device, thread clamps, a slack thread controller, andguides located substantially in a line passing through the guides at theupper end of the needle bar and centrally between said tension devices,whereby the needle threads passing through the tension devices may bebrought together centrally over the arm and led directly through thecontrolling devices through the needle bar.

5. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, apresser bar, a lever for lifting said presser bar, tension devices, asupporting plate for said tension devices, a bracket carried by theoverhanging arm on which said supporting plate is mounted, a bar forreleasing simultaneously said tensions, means for swinging said barincluding anarm adapted to be engaged by the presser foot lifting lever,whereby when the presser foot is raised the tension would be released.

6. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, asupporting plate carried thereby, said plate being inclined downwardtoward the end of the overhanging arm, a plurality of tension devicessupported by said plate, guiding rollers located adjacent the centralplane of the overhanging arm between which the threads are led from thetension devices, a guiding bar extending across the overhanging armunderneath which said threads are guided whereby the direction of-thethreads led from the tensions is changed, so that the threads may beproperly directed to the thread-controlling devices located centrallyover the overhanging arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR. Witnesses:

C. L. STURTEVANT, C. MCNEIL.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G.

